Why we don’t talk about Israel’s nuclear strenth

Unofficially, Tel Aviv wants everyone to know it has them, and doesn’t hesitate to make thinly-veiled references to its willingness to use them if confronted by an existential threat. Estimates on the size of Tel Aviv’s nuclear stockpile range from 80 to 300 nuclear weapons, the latter number exceeding China’s arsenal.

Situated in a high conflict region, Israel possesses advanced conventional military capabilities, and has for decades maintained a policy of opacity (in Hebrew, amimut) regarding its WMD programs. While experts generally agree that Israel possesses nuclear weapons, no such current open source consensus exists on the status of Israel’s offensive chemical or biological weapons programs. Israel also possesses a sizeable arsenal of short- and medium-range ballistic and cruise missiles, and is working towards a multi-layered and comprehensive missile defense capability. In the same week Hizballah and its allies secured a majority in Lebanon’s parliament, Donald Trump walked away from US commitments under the six-party disarmament agreement, better known as the Iran deal. Talking to reporters in Jakarta airport on Thursday, Zarif noted that we neither expect Americans to solve our problems nor they are able to do that. We just expect them not to making troubles and the Europeans also have to conclude that If they want to get permission from the US to fulfill their obligations, the US will never allow them, Iran Press reported.”

Addressing the Europeans, Zarif said: “You have not asked to give Iran privilege or doing a favor for our country, you just have to fulfill your obligations. These commitments are neither dependent on the US nor subject to American permission.”

The Obama-era agreement had placed restrictions on Tehran’s nuclear ambitions in exchange for the relaxation of punishing economic sanctions on Iran.